CI licenses first mill in China as EFS user

Sep 01, 2005

As part of Cotton Incorporated's continued and expanding global efforts to market U.S. cotton to the world, Central Textiles Ltd. has become the first Engineered Fiber Selection System licensed mill in China, giving Cotton Incorporated — and more importantly, U.S. cotton — the first-mover advantage into the world's largest importer of raw cotton fiber.

Developed by Cotton Incorporated's Fiber Management Research Division, the EFS System will assist the 52-year-old company with inventory management and yarn quality control, thus increasing the demand for their end products, as well as U.S. cotton.

“The major purpose is to bring the consistency of yarn qualities to new levels, have better management of our cotton mix and have higher machine efficiency in the mills,” said Central Textiles Ltd. General Manager Leo Yung. “Now with EFS, we will know the quality of each and every bale, the averages of our stocks and the variation of changes of cotton qualities in the mix over time.”

Located in Hong Kong, Central Textiles is a family-owned mill that purchases nearly 250,000 bales of cotton each year. By obtaining an EFS System license, Central Textile Ltd. — as well as all other licensed users — has committed to increase their U.S. cotton purchases.

“Inroads into Hong Kong and China with Central Textiles are a tribute to the success of the system,” said Cotton Incorporated Vice President of Fiber Management Research Charles Chewning.

Developed in 1982 by Cotton Incorporated, the EFS System is the world's leading cotton management system for producing consistently high-quality yarns. The software allows its licensed users to lower cost by improving quality, efficiency, and reducing minimum inventory requirements through the use of HVI data and advanced computer software. Available EFS System software programs include MILLNet, MILLNet32, EFS-USCROP and QRNet32. The EFS System software is now licensed in 12 countries including the Canada, China, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, the U.K., as well as the U.S.